From the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Main ingredients | |
| Cod, including the insides | 1 kg |
| Long onion | 1/2 |
| Iwa-nori (rock seaweed) | as desired |
| Seasonings and liquids | |
| Water | 6 cups |
| Miso | 6 tablespoons |
| Sake | 60 cc |
| Salt | a little |
Pacific cod spawns in the rough waves of the Sea of Japan and is a winter taste in the Shonai area. The kanji for cod, 鱈, is made from the characters for fish and snow, because it is in season when snow falls.
In Shonai, cod caught in the coldest part of the year in the 24 solar terms (from early January to early February) is called “kan-dara” (cold cod). In this season, trawl fishing for the cod that gather to spawn is at its height.
Fresh cod is eaten as sashimi or pressed with kombu, and pickled in miso or sake lees. The milt (shirako) is creamy, and fresh milt is now used for sushi too.
Dongara-jiru is said to have been a fishermen’s dish eaten on the beach. Its mark is that the cod is used completely, from head to tail. “Dongara” means the bones and bits, and the dish is a soup of those, hence the name.
Cod is a fish with nothing to throw away. The body is cut into chunks, bones and all, and the insides all go into the pot.
The key to the taste is the liver and milt. The fattiest part, the “aburawata” (liver), is dissolved in the miso soup or cut into bite-sized pieces and simmered, which gives a rich taste.
To enjoy the flavor of the “dongara,” the soup is traditionally made without green onion and served only with iwa-nori.
A cod in spawning season has a belly round with roe or milt, and those over 4 kg are said to taste best. A good cod has bright eyes, dark red gills and a glossy, shiny black skin.
It is a regular winter dish of Shonai, made at home from mid-January to February and served as a winter specialty at inns and restaurants. It is also served at “Kandara Matsuri” cod festivals held in many places.
Packs for the soup are sold in some supermarkets, and in some areas it is served in school lunches.
There is no single right answer. Talking it over with someone at home is a good way to learn.